Shhhh..another gift album and blanket

We had a lovely, relaxing time in the keys.

Being unplugged the majority of the time was really different

and I totally enjoyed it. I do have some

photos that I need to photoshop - I didn't take my computer

out the entire time we were there.

Shocking I know.

And, I was totally bummed that I couldn't attend the shower.

However, I love doing baby stuff - and who doesn't

so its a good thing we got some baby birthin' going on.

This time I went with Little Yellow Bicycle.

 Its a very fun line and I tried to not be so bossy with this one.
I think I only gave a couple hints and tips.

 Love the pocket and tags - that is fun and new for me

and you can bet I'll be incorporating this in the future.

Added some transparencies to protect the pages and add some fun.

 It came out as a mix of whimsical and pretty.

I also got brave and crocheted my first baby hat.

I had a couple of false starts because I read well enough- but don't follow

directions too well. LOL.

It's probably too big for a newborn because when I was rolling

on the 0-3 it just looked way to too small.

In hindsight though a baby's head needs to be that small at first.

It's been awhile.

Well Miss Harper can grow into it.

Hopefully.

Created a title using a snowboard term

Yes there is a snowboard glossary.

Who knew.

 I did because it seems to be my son's family's

favorite pasttime and I can't keep using the same one over and over

and over and over again.

There are alot of snowboarding photos.

 Love these 2 pictures and I wanted them on the same page

therefore I went to a tried and true design for me.

Because they were two difference sizes its easier for me and my hair

pulling to mat them on one mat.

 Also, the bottom photo had alot of white space going on

and being the brave scrapper that I am - I put the majority

well okay all of my embellishments on the photos.

 Love how it turned out - although I wish I would've noticed

the strip was crooked before the glue dried.

But no matter - it works out mighty fine.

So the title "crunchy kid".

Crunchy in snowboard speak means "cool."

Therefore Miss Amelia is a "cool kid."

Studio Calico, Shimelle, Thickers, Echo Park.

Creating a page with a photo collage

I love doing photo collages and I'm searching

for a program that can do it easily.

I'm hunting down a lightroom tutorial because

someday I'm going to have to switch over.

This was printed from Aperture - because I know how to do it there.

There are four 2x3 photos on a 4x6 photo card.

 Love the 8.5x11 Kraft paper and did a bit of background work

using my AC rolling stamp and ranger inks.
I wanted a rugged look because my son and granddaughter are rock climbing.
Evidently snowboarding was not going to happen that day.

 I decided to be lazy and draw "stitching" around the page.
It just needed that something extra to complete it.
It framed out nicely.

I found those transparencies from Studio Calico that

I also forgot about - I have memory issues going on lately.

But I found the stash at the right time for the right page.

Love this series of photos.

Recollections kraft, Basic grey papers and alphas, Studio Calico transparencies.

Brand new Recollections mists I forgot about

Can you believe that?

Well I stashed them with my stash of inks where

oddly enough they don't fit back into now

and decided they needed to be used.

If you look below in the corner - You see a bit of them

as well as the rolling stamp I used just

to make the background a bit busier

because who doesn't love a busy background.

 I also added some droplets of each colors 

because it looks cool.

 I sprayed and rolled in 3 areas for the triangle.

 I love that huge tag and that is my last one. 

I totally need to get more of those.

Since I have my sewing machine back I decided that some

edging was required and zipped it around 3 times.

Good thing it really didn't need to be straight.

I totally love the dangly threads.

Studio Calico, Simple Stories, Paper Issues Swag Bag,

EK Success words, thickers and homemade enamel dots.

First Bible Journal Entry

This is my first one - other than the cover and I quite 

like how it turned out. 

I used regular enamel paints and alpha stickers I had

in my stash. The banner tag is a design from Penguin Eight.

Head on over to Illustrated Faith  as they have an amazing site

for faith and journaling inspiration.

I chose this verse - well actually it chose me - I use an Oswald Chambers

devotional - My Utmost for His Highest that a dear

friend gifted me. On that

day the verse was Hebrews 11:8. I just love what it said and 

felt compelled to  not only highlight it in the margin

as well as the verse.

The version of the devotional I have was written in the early

19th century so there is an English language

issue that I either look up in the dictionary or on line where

they have a contemporary version that helps with the translation.

I also have a different Bible translation that comes in

handy as well.

I have to admit it was really hard to get started - because its the Bible after all.

But once that first dab of paint hit, it opened up the creativity and

it became easy to highlight and pray over.

First pick of the season

It was sweet, juicy, organic and perfect.

Did I think of taking pictures as we cut into it

and scarfed it down?

Nope.

 And we now have a bumper crop going on.

 There are seven pineapples in various stages

of growth.

 It appears they love the front yard and they love the light from the morning sun.

I cut the tops off of the ripe ones

and clean the pineapple off

 

and put the top in a glass of water and wait

for roots to grow.

Die cut cardstock

It has been awhile since I've done a 6x12

as well as Bazzill cardstock that was die cut.

 Do they still do that?

I have a few in my stash so I haven't looked lately.

 Used my cookie cutter circle dies and those

adorable bows.

I even die cut those paislies? or water splashes?

up in the corner. 

Used some cards from my Paper Issues swag bag 

and of course another adorable bow.

I also had some leftover paper I created using gelatos.

This could be the last of it but

everytime I say that I find more. 

Which is a good thing.

The background was done with rolling stamp

and white ink.

Love that photo of Amelia - 

would you believe she's going to be four soon.

Another All About Me page

Since I feel my everyday life is kinda boring

I  just can't seem to get excited about Project Life - there just

isn't enough going on - not even in a week.

However, I did decide to scrap my morning routine and call it a day.

Crossfit is not boring - let me just clear that right up.

What it is, is an important piece of my everyday and 

I want to document it.

 Since CF photos are few and far between

because everyone is busy working out and not worrying about photos

 every now and then......
some photos that come along.....

 And this is so great - especially when its all my peeps,
 and then some,
 all with whom I stretch, 

sweat, and burn in one photo.

Love that.

 And here's my homemade badge with the initials of my box.

Love that too.

Their names are noted on the back of the page because

there are a lot of peeps since there was only one class and it was
a mix of other that come at different times
and it was sooo cool to be able to meet others.
 This was the Christmas Eve WOD before we got all hot and sweaty.

I also have a New Years Eve WOD-after photo after we're all hot and sweaty..
This is my everyday, including holiday eves, and these are my everyday people.
Love them.

----------------------------------------

As you can see by now - I also have square QK cookie cutter dies

(along with circles and stars). 

I have more shapes where they came from.
Beware.....

Here's some old Studio Calico paper I had no idea what to do with

but find it works perfectly because it has all the months on it.

And I am there - every month - M-F.

Then after I burn, sweat and stretch I go home take a shower, 

drink a recovery shake

 and then take a nap - a really long nap.

Its the hot shower that does me in I'm thinking.
Yeah, let's blame it on the shower but it couldn't possibly be
that my entire body has a good ache going on.

#scrapbooking

I know you're breathlessly waiting for those faux printable watercolor cards

I made here and here with some debacle-ness going on.

Well....

Look below and shazam - there's one on my page.

Love it.

I created a special 8.5 x 11 size for it.

I had an ephiphany when rifling through my scrapbooks

and mini albums that somewhere along the

line..........

I became boring.

True that.

 Doesn't that bow and feathers make you swoon and homemade enamel dot).

That aside I used to do PAGES IN ALL SHAPES AND SIZES

and then suddenly I stopped.

And it was 12x12.

All.the.time.

Except for baby albums and they don't count. LOL.

I mean in everyday scrapping.

All I can think of is when did that happen.

 Don't get me wrong I adore 12x12.

But I also adore the other sizes.

And then I stopped using different sizes

(except 8x8 which is for the grands).

That is going to change.

 I feel better already.

 My SIL borrowed my sewing machine so therefore I 

have faux sharpie stitches drawn by my hand.

And don't that blow you away. :D

 Kraft paper - I adore Kraft and haven't used that in like forever.

It works so well with my faux printable tag.

I LOVE IT!!!

Expect more of the same.

In different sizes.

Different yet the same.

Only 7 more faux printable watercolor cards to go.

So the photo is a heritage one and I'm the baby laying in my
great grandmother Ida's lap.
 I have alot of pages about Ida.
She was an amazing woman.

Beside her are my two different grandfathers.

Of course I had a favorite.

And as you can tell from the body language they really didn't like each other.

Therefore based on the April date - I'm figuring it was my baptism

and that is the only reason they are not only in the same room together

but on the same couch.

And someone made them do it.

Hence the title.

Recollections Kraft, Echo Park, Stamps, Mists, Twine and

Cookie Cutter die cuts.

Oh my.

Stamping in the background....

I adore that balloon stamp and have used it for a lot of pages.

It never gets old.

I also broke out the stamps from Studio Calico - the skies the limit set

and used the clouds and sun from there to help

build the scene.

In full disclosure I tried drawing, cutting and painting clouds.

The stamps were the better option.

 I'm still having difficulties in stamping and because

this is the last of the gelato paper I used

on another page, well -it just has to work,

I stamped "rock the wall."
More or less.

 Of course I did it twice on two different words

because I'm consistent that way.

In my defense they are itty bitty fonts on wooden sticks.

 Love the fun cluster going here.

With more stamping.

You have to admire my tenacity.

The photo is beautiful in color however, it just

didn't quite work when this page came

together. I was going with all shades of grey and

my pal April suggested blue.

I of course used yellow with blue homemade enamel dots.

Mostly because I had more yellow than blue.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Remember the gelato and watercolor play where

Playing had it moments?

Well to refresh your memory go here and

you'll find 3 of them didn't quite make the cut.

However, not one to be defeated, I dug them out of the trash,

 whitewashed and watercolored once again

and gave them another shot.

The bike and chandelier are a couple of stamps. 

The bike was original to the "brown" one and if you'll remember I put the stamp

on the mount backwards and ened up with a black blob.
Stamping correctly has its pluses.

The chandelier replaces the houses I previously stamped -
you remember that I had no clue

what to do with because really it needed more
and I wasn't sure (and still aren't) what more is....

The pink one had my lame handwriting which I did with a sharpie
 that only took a few hundred coats of heavy white paint to cover up.

I decided to go with a stencil and modeling paste to add the butterfiles
which look pretty cool and would've looked cooler
had I thought and researched more about the coloring in part.

I have since found out that I could have colored the modeling paste
instead of using the white and trying to paint them
really really carefully.
Love utube.

So stay tuned.

Because I'm as baffled about what to do with these as you are.


My laptop is in the shop please join me as
I "tap my toe" impatiently for its return.

Playing more in the backgrounds

Because I have rolling stamps and they're a lot of fun

especially on ledger paper

and heaven forbid you leave the background blank.

My problem is getting the stamping all around so you can actually see the lovely goodness

after piling on all the layers and papers.

 I have been getting into the cookie cutter die cuts because
they can add alot of interest without covering up the ole background.

Look at that adorable brown paper bag I finally got in there.

Its been around awhile.

 And another wooden tag going the right way.

I absolutely love the feather die cut and it has been
 worth the purchase because I use it alot.
Here I stamped the music on cream paper and then
whacked it out.

Love them an how adorable did they turn out.

And do you seeeeeeeeee my homemade flair badge I worked in there.

 This cluster is way adorable - the Evalicious camera rocks.

Did you notice the itty bitty stamp sayin' there

and the one on the tab?

Its new in the Studio Calico kit this month and I can actually work it!

Go Me !!!

And here are the grandsons unleased.

I had to frankenstein the letters but it all worked out well because

I really wanted to use up the green letters
as I've have them laying around for awhile.
And I got enough of the background in there to really peek out.

Basic Grey, Studio Calico, Hero Arts stamp, Evalicious,

American Crafts rolling stamps.

Have a great weekend!!!